Game



April 12 1927. 1,624,282

2 L. L. RUSSELL GAME Filed Aug. 11, 1926 O/VTA fP/O LUZ- Russell z z I,atvtozmuaJ 1,624,282 PATENT OFFICE.

LEON L. RUSSELL, or ivnnmonn FALLS, MAINE.

GAME.

Application filed August 11, 1926. Serial No. 128,630.

My invention is a game, the apparatus for which may be produced at a lowcost and which may be easilymanipulated by children as well as by adultsand afford considerable entertainment. The invention provides anapparatus in which a water-way is supplied with obstructions, and apaddle wheel is mounted in the water-way at a convenient point thereofwhereby to effect eirculation of water and by the circulation cause afloating object, simulating a boat, to pass through the water-way andaround the obstructions placed therein. The invention is illustrated inthe accompanying drawing and will be hereinafter fully set forth.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a plan view of an apparatus embodying my invention, and

Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

In carrying out my present invention, I provide a game board 1 which maybe of any suitable material and of any convenient dimensions, beingpreferably fiat on both its upper and lower faces whereby it may be setupon atable or other support in a level position. In the upper surfaceof this board is formed a water-way comprising a main canal 2, pockets 3which simulate lakes, and canals l connecting the several pockets. Inthe present illustration, I have shown live pockets which are arrangedin approximately the same relation as the five Great Lakes and which mayhave educational purposes and will, for convenience, be referred to aslakes and given the names of the respective Great Lakes. Within each ofthe lakes is disposed an obstruction 5 which may be referred to as abuoy and which may convenientlv consist of a small post 6 having anenlarge head 7 at its upper end. In Lake Superior one buoy is providedat the center of the lake, but in each of the other lakes two buoys areprovided, one being disposed near each end of the lake, and the severalbuoys are numbered consecutively from the entrance to Lake Ontario tothe exit from Lake-Michigan, the buoy in Lake Superior being an extra orodd buoy and bein numbered 9. In the main canal 2, which is disposedadjacent and parallel with one longitudinal edge of the game board, isarranged a paddle wheel 8 mounted between side plates 9 which aresecured in any con- 6 venient or preferred manner to the surface of theboard at opposite sides of the canal,

as will be understood particularly upon reference to Fig. 2. A crankshaft 10 is journaled in the side plates9 and carries the paddle wheelso that rotation of the shaft will effectrotation of the paddle wheeland, consequently, cause circulation of the water within the water-way.The side plates 9, in

addition to providing hearings or supports for the paddle wheel, alsoserve as guards to prevent the water being splashed over the player,and, to further guard against this splashing and waste of the water,'acover 11 is secured over the side plates and the paddle wheel, as shown.The game apparatus is completed by the provision of a floating object ora plurality of such objects, indicated at 12, and preferably given theoutline of a boat. In play, the water-way is filled to a level whichwill support the boat 12 in the horizontal plane of the heads 7 of theseveral buoys. The boat is placed by hand in the canal 2 at the right ofthe paddle wheel and the paddle wheel is then rotated so that the waterwill be caused to flow from the canal 2 toward and into Lake Ontario.Obviously, the boat will follow the current and will be carriedarounda-nd into the LakeflOntario, and one object of the game is tocontrol the movement of the boat by the rotation. of the paddle wheel ina clockwise or counter-clockwise direction so that the boat will becaused to take a predetermined course, Assuming the paddle wheel to berotated in a counter-clockwise manner, the water will be caused to flowto the right from the wheel and the walls of the several canals will,ofcourse, direct the current from one lake to the next lake,,it beingnoted, however, that the inlet and outlet of Lake Superior are one andthe same and form, with the outlet of Lake Huron and the inlet of LakeMichigan, a bottle neck in which the boat may be trapped, and thatconsiderable difficulty will be found in attempting to direct the boatinto. Lake Superior. 'lhc buoys are numbered con-secutively from 1 to 8with the buoy in Lake Superior being numbered stated, and the boats areto around the several buoys order. While, of course, the players mayagree upon any course for the boats, it wi 1 be assumed that the boat isto pass on the right side of buoy Ontario to pass out at the left ofbuoy No. 2 and enter Lake Erie at the left of buoy 9, as heretofore becaused to pass in a prescrlbed No. 1 and then cross Lake I No. 3. Theboat should then cross Lake Erie and leave at the right of buoy No. 4and enter Lake Huron on the right of buoy o. 5 crossing the lake andleaving at the left of buoy No. 6. It should then enter Lake Michigan onthe right of buoy No. 7, cross the lake and pass out on the left of buoyNo. 8, thence returning to the paddle wheel for another play. It isoptional with the player as to whether the boat shall pass through LakeSuperior, but inasmuch as a large score will be given for properlynavigating Lake Superior, it is advisable to at tempt the feat. Eachbuoy properly passed will count five points for the player so that it ispossible to score ten points for each lake with a minimum score offorty, not including Lake Superior, but the proper navigation of LakeSuperior will score fifty points. If a boat passes on the wrong side ofa buoy, it must remain on that side and pass out of the lake with ascore of five points but if it crosses the lake after entering on thewrongside it will lose the total score for that lake. the wrong side ofa buoy, its progress must be arrested before it passes the buoy and itis not permissible to remove the boat and.

start a second trial, it being necessary that the boat complete a tripand that the trip be controlled solely by the movement of the paddlewheel. The game board must be kept as nearly level as possible whileplaying inasmuch as it is not permissible to move the boat by handexcept when moving it from one side of the paddle wheel to the otherside nor to control the movement of the boat by shifting the level ofthe Water.

The device is exceedingly simple and in- If a boat is headed forexpensive and its manipulation will require some skill as well as proveentertaining. Vhile I have illustrated a water-way simulating, to someextent, the Great Lakes, it will be understood, of course, that theinvention is not limited to this particular form of Water-Way and thatthe pockets or imitations of lakes may be arranged in any other desiredmanner.

Having thus described the invention, ll claim:

1.' A game comprising a game board having a Water-way formed therein,said waterway being endless and having one portion parallel with andadjacent an edge of the game board and another portion simulating lakesand canals connecting the lakes, a pad dle wheel arranged within thatportion of the Water-Way adjacent an edge of the board and adapted tocause circulation of Water in the water-Way, buoys placed in the several lakes in spaced relation to the sides thereof, and a buoyant objecttobe' caused to travel through the Water-Way by the circulation of watertherein.

2. A game apparatus comprising a game board having a Water-way andsimulating the a canal connecting Lakes Michigan and Ontario, a singlebuoy in the center of Lake Superior, buoys Within the other lakes oneadjacent each end thereof, a wheel arranged in the canal connectingLakes Michigan and Ontario for effecting circulation of the Water in thewater-way, and a buoyant object to be carried through circulation of thewater therein.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

LEON L. RUSSELL. [n s] the water way by the formed therein Great Lakesand having

